Author | Pierce Brown |
---|---|
Audio read by | Tim Gerard Reynolds |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Science fiction |
Publisher | Del Rey Books (US) |
Publication date | February 9, 2016 |
Media type | |
Pages | 518 |
ISBN | 0-345-53984-2 |
Preceded by | Golden Son |
Followed by | Iron Gold |
- Red Rising Ragnar
- Red Rising Stained Obsidian
- Red Rising Series Pierce Brown
- Red Rising Sling Blade
- Ragnar The Red
- Red Rising Obsidian Race
Morning Star is a 2016 science fiction novel by American author Pierce Brown, the third in his Red Rising trilogy. Morning Star picks up as the lowborn Darrow escapes capture and resumes his campaign against the tyrannical Sovereign of the Society. Pragmatic as ever, he begins to amass the resources and allies he needs to defeat the forces of the Sovereign.
Red rising characters obsidian Novel by Pierce Brown Iron Gold First edition coverAuthorPierce BrownAudio read byTim Gerard ReynoldsAedin MoloneyJohn CurlessJulian. Natural Red Obsidian Tower, 3.5-4 Inches Gemstone Tower, Red Obsidian Point, Obelisk Quartz, Healing Crystal, Meditation Quartz PrettyBeadsFinds.
Preceded by Red Rising (2014) and Golden Son (2015), Morning Star was published on February 9, 2016, and debuted at #1 on The New York Times Dashlane lastpass 1password download. Best Seller list. Brown announced a sequel trilogy in February 2016, to begin with the novel Iron Gold in January 2018.
Plot[edit]
Darrow is a shadow of his former self after a year of torture and imprisonment at the hands of Adrius au Augustus, the ArchGovernor of Mars, better known as the Jackal. Across the worlds, he is believed dead because of a public execution faked by the Jackal and Octavia au Lune, the Sovereign. Sevro au Barca, now leader of the Sons of Ares, sends his deputy Holiday ti Nakamura to rescue Darrow. Darrow discovers that Victra au Julii is also still alive and frees her as well. Reconciling and recovering at a hidden rebel stronghold, Darrow and Victra join Sevro's gang of Howlers. Their first mission is to kidnap Quicksilver, the richest man in the Society, who they believe is the Jackal's silent partner. Darrow and his men stumble into a peace negotiation between some of the Sovereign's underlings — Cassius au Bellona, Moira au Grimmus and the Death Knight — on one side, and Darrow's old friends — Virginia 'Mustang' au Augustus, Kavax au Telemanus and Daxo au Telemanus — on the other. The room erupts in conflict and destruction; Moira and the Death Knight are killed. Mustang is shocked to find Darrow alive, and the Howlers manage to escape with Quicksilver and Kavax as prisoners. Quicksilver reveals that he had secretly co-founded the Sons of Ares with Sevro's late father Fitchner au Barca, and offers his considerable resources to Darrow. Kavax also makes peace with Darrow and offers him allegiance.
The Sons seize control of the moon Phobos as a distraction, allowing Darrow, Ragnar and Holiday to slip away to seek an alliance with Ragnar's mother Alia Snowsparrow, an Obsidian queen. They are intercepted and then joined by Mustang, who renews her dedication to Darrow and his cause. They learn too late that they have been followed by an enemy ship. Both ships exchange fire and crash into the frozen wasteland of Obsidian territory. Plagued by cannibalistic tribes of Obsidian outcasts, Darrow and his companions ambush their Gold pursuers, Aja au Grimmus and Cassius. Darrow and Mustang neutralize Cassius, but Ragnar is mortally wounded by Aja before she escapes. Ragnar's sister Sefi arrives in time to be reunited with him, only to watch him die. Hoping that the fierce Obsidian warriors will join his rebellion when they see that their 'gods' are just men who have subjugated them, Darrow and Mustang lead Sefi and her Valkyrie to overtake the Golds who style themselves as Norse gods for the superstitious Obsidians. Alia still refuses to follow Darrow's cause and denounces his group as heretics, so Sefi kills her mother and then the former 'gods'. Sefi becomes queen and manages to rally all of the Obsidian tribes to join Darrow's crusade, leaving the polar region for the Sons of Ares' stronghold with a wounded Cassius in tow. Cassius reveals that the Sovereign's secret stockpile of nuclear weapons has been stolen, likely by the Jackal.
Darrow and Mustang seek an alliance with the Moon Lords of Jupiter, who are led by the self-declared Sovereign of the Outer Rim, Romulus au Raa. Darrow's former friend Roque au Fabii is also there, in his position as the Imperator of Octavia au Lune's Sword Armada, to negotiate a truce with the Moon Lords. Darrow secures their support against Octavia when he manipulates Roque into confirming that she possesses planet-destroying atomic weapons to use against them if necessary. Darrow's forces are joined by those of the Moon Lords against Roque's Sword Armada and the fleet of Victra's brutal sister, Antonia au Severus-Julii. Using a tactical ruse, Darrow along with Sefi's Obsidians board Roque's flagship. They overtake the ship, and the proud Roque, refusing to surrender, commits suicide. Antonia flees, but is soon captured by Victra. After the battle, Sefi and her Obsidians instigate a riot among the Sons of Ares to execute their Gold prisoners, having been enraged by the savagery of the Jackal. Sevro proves their hypocrisy in dramatic fashion by first hanging Cassius for killing Fitchner, and then hanging himself for his own multiple murders. Astonished, Sefi cuts them both down before they die, and Sevro makes peace with the Obsidians. Sevro and Victra are married in the week thereafter.
Darrow's Red Armada arrives at Luna to attack the Sovereign. Darrow, Sevro and Mustang release Cassius, who swears to distance himself from the war — until he suddenly grabs Sevro's scorcher and shoots him to death. Cassius stuns Darrow and Mustang, sets Antonia free, and the duo take Darrow, Mustang and Sevro's body with them to deliver to the Sovereign. They meet the Jackal, who coerces Cassius to sever Darrow's hand. Octavia orders Aja to execute Antonia for her dishonorable conduct during the battle with the Moon Lords, and sentences Darrow to death in a live telecast. Cassius, however, kills the Sovereign's Praetorian guards and releases Darrow and Mustang. Darrow fatally stabs Octavia and incapacitates the Jackal. While Cassius and Mustang face Aja, Darrow revives a sedated Sevro. Aja is slain under their combined efforts. The Jackal instructs Darrow to commit suicide, under threat of detonating the nuclear bombs he has placed across Luna. Darrow tears out the Jackal's tongue while Mustang and Lysander direct both the loyalist and the Rising fleets to fire upon the Jackal's flagship that was responsible for detonating the nukes. Nevertheless, twelve nukes go off, killing millions.
With the support of Octavia's young grandson Lysander, Mustang takes control as Sovereign. She disbands the Senate and begins dismantling the Color system and the tyrannical social infrastructure of the Golds. The Jackal is publicly executed. Cassius, having made peace with Darrow and himself, takes off with Lysander to raise the boy in exile. Mustang reveals to Darrow the existence of their son, Pax, who was born while Darrow was presumed dead, and had been secretly in the care of Kavax's wife. Darrow vows to himself to create a better world for his son to live in.
Characters[edit]
The Rising[edit]
Waterfox download. The Rising is the revolutionary movement featured in the book, which seeks to reform or overthrow the ruling hierarchy to achieve fair treatment and justice for all human races. It comprises The Sons of Ares (the rebellious organization that originally started the movement), The Sun Industries (their financier), several Obsidian tribes and part of the fleet of the Lion House of Mars. Their characters include:
- Darrow au Andromedus of Lykos, a.k.a. 'Reaper' and 'Morning Star' (Gold/Red): a Red physically remade into a Gold to infiltrate and destroy the Society, he is the leader of 'The Rising', the force rebelling against the Society. Darrow is a charismatic strategist and is not afraid of taking immense risks, but refuses to act like a terrorist and goes to a great lengths to prove he is not another destroyer.
- Virginia au Augustus, a.k.a. 'Mustang' (Gold): daughter of Nero, the former ArchGovernor of Mars, and the estranged twin sister of the Jackal. When her former lover Darrow is betrayed, imprisoned and presumed dead, Mustang and her forces secede and join the separatists of the outer rim in what is called the Second Moon Rebellion. There, she and the Moon Lords fight the Sword Armada of the Sovereign. After her peace meeting with delegates of the Sovereign is interrupted, she joins The Rising but stipulates that Darrow must prove that he is not just another tyrant.
- Sevro au Barca, a.k.a. 'Goblin' (Gold): Darrow's best friend and second-in-command, he is the foulmouthed acting leader of the Sons of Ares. Unlike Darrow, while Sevro is in command of the Sons of Ares, he resorts to terrorist tactics like bombing. The Jackal takes advantage of this to broadcast anti-rebellion sentiments, even going to great lengths to commit acts of terror of his own for which the Sons of Ares are blamed. Under Sevro's leadership, the Sons lose their financial support and consistently fail to ally themselves with other rebelling factions. Sevro does not relinquish command to Darrow immediately when he arrives; Darrow has to wrest control by first beating Sevro and then reminding him how they became friends.
- Victra au Julii (Gold): Darrow's loyal lieutenant, and half sister of Antonia au Severus-Julii, she is imprisoned and tortured at the same time as Darrow. Unlike Darrow, however, her only motive for joining The Rising is revenge against her sister. As she and Sevro fell in love, however, revenge ceases to be an exclusive motive.
- Ragnar Volarus, a.k.a. 'Shield of Tinos' (Obsidian): Darrow's lieutenant, Ragnar has an unusually loud voice that other Obsidians don't. Having grown up among the superstitious and intellectually undeveloped Obsidians and recruited as a slave warrior into the Society, Ragnar has made several attempts to show them the light but his messengers have been executed. He is fatally wounded in a one-on-one battle with Aja au Grimmus but refuses to die in the traditional way of other unenlightened Obsidians (by refusing to hold his weapon). During his last moments, he urges Darrow to kill his mother, Alia Snowsparrow, who has deliberately kept other Obsidians in dark and will not be swayed by words
- Sefi the Quiet (Obsidian): Ragnar's sister, the silence-oathbound daughter of Alia Snowsparrow, and the heir apparent to the throne of a tribe of Obsidians known as Valkyries. Upon discovering that the Gods she and her tribe worship are mortal Golds in disguise, she deposes her mother, becomes the queen of Valkyries and starts speaking again. She is instrumental in causing other Obsidian tribes to become allies of The Rising. Later, after the victory over the Sword Armada, all other Obsidian tribes recognize her as their first pan-tribal queen.
- Holiday ti Nakamura (Gray): a Gray Legionnaire secretly working for the Sons of Ares, and Darrow's deputy. Her brother Trigg is killed rescuing Darrow and Victra from imprisonment.
- Regulus ag Sun, a.k.a. 'Quicksilver' (Silver): a Silver and the richest man in the Society through ownership of the helium-3 refineries on Phobos. As the co-founder of the Sons of Ares, Quicksilver stops funding Sevro and his terrorist activities but is nevertheless instrumental in building their secret hideout city, Tinos. Quicksilver believes that the Society has brought the mankind's evolution to a halt and has stifled the scientific progress to maintain dominance. In his view, what the downtrodden race of Reds do should be done by robots. For the second half of the book, he contributes to The Rising through cyberwarfare.
- 'Dancer' (Red): Darrow's mentor in the Sons of Ares and later the Sons' liaison for the Reds.
- 'Narol' (Red): Darrow's uncle. He is caught sabotaging the Jackal's satellites and is tortured and executed. His execution is broadcast to Darrow's fleet, triggering the Obsidian riot led by Sefi.
The Society[edit]
The Society is the tyrannical government that has ruled the whole solar system but lost control of all planets beyond the asteroid belt before the start of the book. It characters include:
- Adrius au Augustus, a.k.a. 'Jackal' (Gold): Virginia's twin brother, the sociopathic ArchGovernor of Mars. Jackal is not afraid of genocide, having bombed one city from space during the events of the book. Before the events of the novel, the Jackal has stolen 400 nuclear warheads, each having a yield of 30 megatons. He has ordered these warheads to be planted on Luna, the capital of the Society, and plans to used them as leverage to become the Sovereign. When the Sovereign dies, the Jackal uses the same gambit against Darrow, but loses.
- Alia Snowsparrow (Obsidian): Queen of the Obsidian tribe Valkyries, she is famous for her devotion to her Gods and her religion. Unbeknownst to all, Alia knows that her Gods are a ruse, yet becomes part of the ruse to remain the ruler. When she refuses to abandon the charade, she is killed by her daughter, Sefi.
- Cassius au Bellona, the Morning Knight (Gold): Cassius and Darrow harbor deep hatred towards one another as Darrow has been instrumental in extermination of the Bellona family and Cassius has previously killed several of Darrow's friends. Cassius, however, hosts a damaged sense of honor and loyalty which has turned him into a confused character. He spends the large part of the book in captivity. However, he strikes an alliance with Darrow when he sees footage given to him by Darrow of his family being assassinated by the Jackal's forces.
- Octavia au Lune (Gold): the Sovereign of the Society. She became Sovereign by decapitating her own father (a tyrannical Sovereign) and presenting it to the senate. She ruled for sixty years and is a staunch believer that the color system brings about the prosperity of the mankind. Ironically, her first spoken words in the book convey that she cannot be bothered with civilian casualties.
- Roque au Fabii, a.k.a. 'Poet of Deimos' (Gold): Imperator of the Sovereign's Sword Armada. Although Darrow calls him a former friend, in reality, he has been an enemy of Darrow far longer than Darrow realizes. Defeated in the battle of the outer rim, Roque commits suicide.
- Antonia au Severus-Julii (Gold): Praetor of the Fifth and Sixth Legions and Victra's half-sister, she has shot Victra in the spines and is the reason she spent a year under torture in the custody of the Jackal. During the battle of the outer rim, she commits dereliction of duty. As such, the Sovereign has her executed.
- Lysander au Lune (Gold): grandson and heir of the Sovereign.
- Magnus au Grimmus, a.k.a. 'Ash Lord' (Gold): father of Aja and Moira, he is the supreme commander of the Sovereign's fleet. Near the end of the book, he battles the fleet of the rising but is convinced to end the combat when nuclear bombs of the Jackal begin detonating on Luna. At the behest of the Mustang, he directs the loyalists to fire on the Jackal's flagship.
- Aja au Grimmus, the Protean Knight (Gold): the Sovereign's bodyguard and the daughter of the Ash Lord, Aja is most dangerous swordsman in the book. Her mentor has likened fighting Aja to fighting a river. Aja puts up a fierce battle before dying and is only overcome by the combined forces of four Golds.
- Lilath au Faran (Gold): Companion of the Jackal and the leader of his Boneriders division, she is placed on the Jackal's flagship to detonate nukes on Luna. She is assumed dead when the Jackal's flag ship is fired upon from all sides by both the loyalists and the Rising.
Others[edit]
- Romulus au Raa (Gold): ArchGovernor of Io, he secedes from the Society in the Second Moon Rebellion. Romulus is a strong disciplinarian who believes children must not be spoiled by servants and luxuries that they did not earn.
- Dio (Red): sister of Darrow's former wife, Eo.
In March 2016, Brown named Victra is his favorite character to write, saying that she 'is dark and broken..but she finds her way back'.[1] He added, 'And the Jackal because he's that little dark part of me that is lonely, the jealous part. He just always wants what he can't have.'[1] Brown said of Mustang's final mercy towards her brother, the Jackal, that 'Some readers have been very vocal that they didn't think that he deserved any mercy, but I always felt he was as much a victim of his own life, and even if redemption was not possible, someone showed him love at the very end.'[1] Brown also noted that he almost killed off Cassius, saying 'Cassius' taking care of Lysander also gave me a reason to save him. Darrow would have killed him otherwise. Ultimately, he didn't kill him because he felt guilty. Which plays into the next series ..'[1]
Publication[edit]
Morning Star is the third and final novel in Brown's Red Rising trilogy, preceded by Red Rising (2014) and Golden Son (2015).[2] In August 2015, Brown said of the novel:
I'm working on the second draft [of Morning Star] as we speak. It's a more ambitious book than either Red Rising or Golden Son, so I've got my work cut out for me, but I couldn't be more pleased with how things are going so far. It's my last baby in the Red Rising Trilogy, so I want to make it the best.[3]
It was published on February 9, 2016, and debuted at #1 on The New York Times Best Seller list.[4] It reached #1 on USA Today's Best-Selling Books list,[5] and won the Goodreads Choice Award for science fiction.[6]
Brown announced a sequel trilogy in February 2016,[5] to begin with the novel Iron Gold in August 2017.[7]
Reception[edit]
Kirkus Reviews called Morning Star an 'ambitious and satisfying conclusion to a monumental saga', noting that 'Brown creates an alternative universe that is multilayered and seething with characters who exist in a shadow world between history and myth, much as in Frank Herbert’s Dune.'[8] Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly referred to Brown as 'science fiction's best-kept secret', calling the novel 'devastating and inspiring' and writing that 'the violence here is grimmer, its humor more unsettling, its forgiveness rarer, its casualties more sickening.'[9]Publishers Weekly called the Morning Star 'excellent', adding that 'Brown's vivid, first-person prose puts the reader right at the forefront of impassioned speeches, broken families, and engaging battle scenes that don't shy away from the gore as this intrastellar civil war comes to a most satisfying conclusion.'[10] Kristine Huntley of Booklist described the novel as 'simply stellar', calling it 'a page-turning epic filled with twists and turns, heartbreaks and daring gambles' and praising Brown's 'fabulously imagined universe'.[11] Comparing the series to Star Wars and calling Morning Star 'this trilogy's Return of the Jedi', Niall Alexander wrote in Tor.com that 'as an ending, it absolutely satisfies' while noting some flaws in pacing, character development and accessibility for new readers.[12] Jason Sheehan of NPR praised Brown's vivid action scenes but wrote that this third installment is heavy on exposition.[13]
References[edit]
- ^ abcdKyriazis, Stefan (March 6, 2016). 'Red Rising author Pierce Brown on film casting, the Irongold sequels & fan power'. Daily Express. Retrieved January 28, 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Red Rising Trilogy Book 3: Morning Star'. RedRisingBook.com (Official website). Retrieved January 30, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Liang, Adrian (August 2, 2015). 'Q&A with Red Rising and Golden Son Author Pierce Brown'. Omnivoracious. Retrieved August 11, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Best Sellers for the week of February 28, 2016'. The New York Times. February 21, 2016. Retrieved February 21, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ abTruitt, Brian (February 17, 2016). 'Pierce Brown lands at No. 1 with Morning Star, plans new series'. USA Today. Retrieved January 28, 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Best Science Fiction 2016 — Goodreads Choice Awards'. Goodreads. Retrieved December 11, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Snetiker, Marc (December 15, 2016). 'Pierce Brown debuts new Red Rising trilogy, cover, plot'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 27, 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Morning Star by Pierce Brown'. Kirkus Reviews. December 9, 2015. Retrieved February 21, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Snetiker, Marc (February 4, 2016). 'Morning Star: EW review'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 20, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Fiction Book Review: Morning Star: Red Rising, Book 3'. Publishers Weekly. February 2016. Retrieved March 1, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Huntley, Kristine (February 1, 2016). 'Morning Star by Pierce Brown (Starred Review)'. Booklist. Retrieved March 1, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Alexander, Niall (February 8, 2016). 'Return of the Reaper: Morning Star by Pierce Brown'. Tor.com. Retrieved March 1, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Sheehan, Jason (February 9, 2016). 'Morning Star Brings Red Rising Trilogy To An End .. Eventually'. NPR. Retrieved March 1, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
External links[edit]
- Snetiker, Marc (January 22, 2015). 'Pierce Brown talks Red Rising trilogy, reveals the cover of book 3'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved February 20, 2016.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Morning_Star_(Brown_novel)&oldid=1005867110'
Author | Pierce Brown |
---|---|
Audio read by | Tim Gerard Reynolds |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Genre | Science fiction |
Publisher | Del Rey Books (US) |
Publication date | January 28, 2014 |
Media type | |
Pages | 382 |
ISBN | 0-345-53978-8 |
Followed by | Golden Son |
Red Rising is a 2014 dystopianscience fiction novel by American author Pierce Brown, and the first book and eponym of a series. The novel, set on a future planet Mars, follows lowborn miner Darrow as he infiltrates the ranks of the elite Golds.
Red Rising has received generally positive reviews. In 2014, Universal Pictures secured the rights for a film adaptation, but the project was eventually scrapped. Brown began developing Red Rising as a television series in 2018, and later announced that the potential series had a director and a showrunner. The film rights have also been resold to an unspecified studio. A six-issue prequel comic book series, Red Rising: Sons of Ares, was published in 2017. In February 2021, Stonemaier Games announced their forthcoming Red Rising board game.
Red Rising Ragnar
Plot summary[edit]
It has been seven hundred years since mankind colonized other planets. The powerful ruling class of humans has installed a rigid, color-based social hierarchy where the physically superior Golds at the top rule with an iron fist. Sixteen-year-old Darrow is a Red, a class of workers who toil beneath the surface of Mars mining helium-3 to terraform the planet and make it habitable. He and his wife Eo are captured after entering a forbidden area and are arrested. While she is publicly whipped for her crime, Eo sings a forbidden folk tune as a protest against their virtual enslavement. She is subsequently hanged on the orders of Mars' ArchGovernor Nero au Augustus. Darrow cuts down and buries his wife's body, a crime for which he is also hanged. However, Darrow awakes to find that he has been drugged and delivered into the hands of the Sons of Ares, a terrorist group of Reds who fight against the oppression of the 'low Colors'. They have adopted the video of Eo's song and execution as a rallying vehicle for their cause. Darrow joins the Sons when he learns that Mars was already terraformed centuries before and that the Reds have been tricked into perpetual servitude and subjugation.
Darrow is conscripted to impersonate a Gold and infiltrate the Society to bring it down from within. He is physically transformed by Mickey, a Violet 'carver', who gives him the abilities and appearance of a Gold through painful surgeries, treatments and implants. Using a fabricated identity and succeeding at a sort of placement test, Darrow is accepted into the Golds' elite Institute, where he befriends the charismatic Cassius au Bellona and alienates the arrogant Antonia au Severus. Darrow is selected for House Mars by its gruff Proctor, Fitchner. To continue to the next stage, Darrow must complete the Passage, a test in which the 100 newly chosen students in each of the twelve Houses are paired with another house member and tasked to kill each other as a means to eliminate the weaker half. Darrow is forced to murder Cassius' brother Julian to survive, but Cassius can only guess who may have killed him.
Red Rising Stained Obsidian
Each House is assigned a fortress and a scepter, called a standard, to defend within the Institute's confines, with the goal of warring with each other until one House enslaves all others with the standard. Mars fractures into factions: one led jointly by Darrow and Cassius, one by Antonia, one by Titus au Ladros, and the antisocial Sevro going off on his own. To neutralize the violent Titus, who has been raping the female slaves left in Mars' fortress, Darrow manipulates House Minerva, led by the young woman he met briefly upon his arrival at the Institute and whom he has dubbed 'Mustang'. Mustang and her troops take the Mars fortress and imprison Titus. Sevro helps Darrow escape and capture Minerva's standard, which he trades to reclaim Mars' castle. Darrow takes over as the Primus (leader) of Mars, and Sevro and his group of 'Howlers' declare their loyalty to him. Darrow realizes from the captive Titus' manner of speech that he is a fellow Red impersonating a Gold. To maintain his cover, Darrow allows Titus to be executed. Darrow captures Minerva's fortress and defeats their strongman Pax au Telemanus. Before she escapes, Mustang reveals the existence of 'the Jackal', the leader of House Pluto who is terrorizing other Houses. Antonia and some of Titus' former followers attempt to overthrow Darrow, but he manages to thwart their plan. Lilath, a messenger from the Jackal, secretly reveals to Cassius that Darrow killed Julian. Cassius challenges Darrow to a duel outside Mars' fortress, severely wounding him and leaving him to die in the snow.
Darrow is rescued and nursed back to health by Mustang, who still has Minerva's standard despite losing their fortress. They begin to develop romantic feelings for each other as they flee to avoid discovery by Cassius, now Primus of House Mars. Conquered students are systematically 'enslaved' by other Houses, forced by their honor to serve their conquerors. Darrow and Mustang begin to amass an army by recruiting many Oathbreakers, the wandering slaves who have chosen to disobey orders, with Minerva's standard. Darrow prefers that his captured foes swear their allegiance and join him, rather than serve him. Learning from his previous mistakes, he frees these slaves and takes responsibility for their actions to gain their allegiance. He gains the loyalty of the duplicitous Tactus au Rath when he accepts physical punishment on himself after administering the same to Tactus for unruly behavior. Sevro, who has led his team of Howlers to escape from Cassius and has now lost an eye, meets up with Darrow again to join forces. Darrow takes the fortresses of Houses Ceres, Apollo, and Jupiter, enslaving their members until the prisoners prove their loyalty to him. Fitchner reveals to Darrow that the other Proctors have been conspiring to assist the Jackal, who is actually Adrius, the son of ArchGovernor Augustus. Darrow exposes Lucian, a prisoner taken during the surrender of house Jupiter, as the Jackal after impaling his hand and offering him the opportunity to free himself by cutting it off. The Jackal slices off his own hand to escape and uses Darrow's shock as an opening, attacking him and killing Pax in the attempt; then escaping with the assistance of Proctor Apollo, the main proctor assisting the Jackal.
Enraged by the Proctors' deliberate efforts to hinder his victory, Darrow slays Proctor Apollo, and his army storms Mount Olympus, the floating palace of the Proctors using the flying boots gained from proctor Apollo. With the remaining Proctors subdued with the help of Sevro and the Howlers, Darrow sends Mustang to capture the Jackal, only to find out from Fitchner that she is Virginia au Augustus, the Jackal's twin sister. Darrow expects a betrayal, but she returns to deliver her captive brother, and Darrow wins the exercise. Before he departs, Cassius promises Darrow revenge. With his victory, Darrow is given his choice of a patron to sponsor his future. He accepts the hated ArchGovernor Augustus' offer to serve as one of his lancers, knowing that the powerful man will offer him the greatest opportunities to acquire the power he needs to destroy the Golds.
Characters[edit]
- Darrow, a Red who is remade into a Gold named 'Darrow au Andromedus' to infiltrate and destroy the Society. He is later called 'The Reaper' by his classmates, for the sickle-shaped blade he carries as his weapon.
- Eo, Darrow's wife whose hanging for treason ignites his desire for revenge against the Golds.
- Nero au Augustus, the ArchGovernor of Mars who orders Eo's execution.
- Virginia au Augustus, daughter of the ArchGovernor and leader of House Minerva at the Institute. Initially not knowing her given name, Darrow calls her 'Mustang'.
- Adrius au Augustus, Virginia's vicious twin brother, leader of House Pluto at the Institute. His cruel and violent tactics of conquest earn him the nickname 'The Jackal'.
- Cassius au Bellona, Darrow's ally and friend in House Mars.
- Roque, Darrow's friend and ally in House Mars, a self-styled poet.
- Sevro, Darrow's friend and ally in House Mars, a lowDraft with an antisocial attitude.
- Antonia au Severus, a ruthless Gold whom Darrow alienates almost immediately.
- Titus au Ladros, a violent and tyrannical member of House Mars.
- Pax au Telemanus, a massive warrior aligned with Virginia in House Minerva.
- Tactus au Rath, a duplicitous member of House Diana.
- Fitchner, Proctor of Mars at the Institute, Sevro's father.
- Narol, Darrow's paternal uncle, rescues Darrow after his execution and sends him to the Sons of Ares.
- Dancer, Darrow's mentor in the Sons of Ares who first reveals to him the lies of the Golds.
- Harmony, Dancer's half-disfigured, female partner and Darrow's contentious drill instructor.
- Mickey, a Violet Carver who remakes Darrow's body and physically transforms him into a Gold.
- Matteo, a Pink who educates Darrow about the society, its history, politics and arts.
- Octavia au Lune, the Sovereign of the Society.
- Evey, a winged-Pink who nurses and cares for Darrow during The Carving.
Development[edit]
Brown said of writing Red Rising, 'I started with the main character [Darrow] and shaped my world around him. I was inspired by the plight of Irish immigrants in the 19th century and by the disenfranchisement of working classes.'[1] Brown also explained:
Pax's death was capricious and bothered me. I needed the Jackal to demonstrate his nature in Book 1 so I put all the names in the hat except Darrow and Mustang. When I pulled out Pax's name I stood there thinking, 'I could just put it back in, no-one would ever know.' I had a huge story arc planned with Darrow being with the Telemanuses against the Bellonas and that changed everything. But it was better, ultimately, that Darrow didn't have that shelter to hide behind.[2]
Reception[edit]
Red Rising was well received by both readers and critics, and hit #20 on The New York Times Best Seller list in February 2014.[3]
Marc Snetiker of Entertainment Weekly gave the book an A-, writing, 'Brown writes with cinematic grandeur, cleverly fusing Roman mythology with science fiction and pacing his action scenes for a slow-burn build to a hold-your-breath final act.'[4] Brian Truitt of USA Today gave the book 3.5 out of 4 stars, proclaiming, 'Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field.' [5] Writing for The Huffington Post, Britt Michaelian explained, 'The morals and values that are explored through the characters in Red Rising have the potential to inspire a generation of readers to think intelligently about the impact of their decisions on themselves, their family and friends and on their world as a whole. This book is truly a powerful lesson in leadership.'[6] Niall Alexander wrote for Tor.com:
Red Rising Series Pierce Brown
On the surface, Red Rising resembles any number of other genre novels of note, but dig a little deeper .. to reveal real uniqueness: in Brown’s nearly seamless assemblage of several time-tested traditions, if not in a great many of his debut’s myriad threads independently .. Its final act .. is like a heart attack: a no-holds-barred bastard of a finale in which the author gathers a spread of elements together in much the same way George R. R. Martin’s does in the best and most brutal bits of his bestselling saga .. For once I would have loved more in the way of worldbuilding, and Brown could have made the most of a longer novel by exploring a few of his fiction’s most interesting figures further, but it bears remembering that Red Rising is only the beginning of a trilogy—which is to say there’s space and time for this impressive young author to work out its biggest kinks.[7]
Kirkus Reviews described the novel as 'reminiscent of The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones', calling it 'a fine novel for those who like to immerse themselves in alternative worlds'.[8] However, Publishers Weekly said of the novel, 'Pierce offers a Hollywood-ready story with plenty of action and thrills but painfully little originality or plausibility.'[9] Artify paint brushes.
Brown's Red Rising fans have dubbed themselves 'Howlers' after characters in the novels, and the author has also noted the popularity of his novels among the LGBT community, saying 'It's amazing that they have found a home in these books .. All these lost souls in my books have connected with people and I find it incredibly moving.'[2]
Red Rising Sling Blade
Potential adaptation[edit]
In February 2014, Deadline Hollywood reported that Marc Forster had been selected to direct a film adaptation of the book, with Joe Roth, Palak Patel and Renee Wolf producing and author Brown writing the screenplay.[10] A subsequent article reported that Universal Pictures outbid Sony Pictures for screen rights in a seven-figure deal.[11] As of February 2016, the film was still in development, with Brown having written the first two drafts.[12] Brown said in March 2016, 'I have written the first two drafts of the film and now we're on the third. Hopefully it will be greenlit this year. The vision from the film makers is 'Lawrence of Arabia in space', which is terribly exciting for me as it's my favorite film.'[2]
The rights eventually reverted to Brown,[13] and in January 2018 he said he was developing Red Rising as a television series.[13][14] Brown confirmed in October 2018 that the project had a director and a showrunner, and added that the film rights had also been resold to an unspecified studio.[15]
Prequel comic[edit]
A six-issue prequel comic book series from Dynamite Entertainment called Red Rising: Sons of Ares was published in 2017.[16][17]
Board game[edit]
In February 2021, Stonemaier Games announced their forthcoming Red Rising board game.[18] The game is described as featuring hand-management and combo-building mechanisms.[19]
Ragnar The Red
References[edit]
Red Rising Obsidian Race
- ^Jordan, Tina (January 26, 2018). 'A Sci-fi Writer Inspired by the Plight of Irish Immigrants'. The New York Times. Retrieved August 2, 2019.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ abcKyriazis, Stefan (March 6, 2016). 'Red Rising author Pierce Brown on film casting, the Irongold sequels & fan power'. Daily Express. Retrieved January 28, 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Best Sellers for the week of February 16, 2014'. The New York Times. February 16, 2014. Retrieved January 29, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Snetiker, Marc (February 5, 2014). 'Red Rising (2014)'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved January 29, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Truitt, Brian (February 1, 2014). 'Red Rising ascends above a crowded dystopian field'. USA Today. Retrieved January 29, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Michaelian, Britt (January 17, 2014). '14 to 40: The Mother-Daughter Book Experience of Red Rising'. The Huffington Post. Retrieved January 29, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Alexander, Niall (January 17, 2014). 'Game of Golds: Red Rising by Pierce Brown'. Tor.com. Retrieved February 1, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Review: Red Rising by Pierce Brown'. Kirkus Reviews. 2014. Retrieved February 6, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Red Rising by Pierce Brown'. Publishers Weekly. 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Fleming, Jr., Mike (February 5, 2014). 'Hot Book Du Jour: Red Rising, With WWZ's Marc Forster Helming'. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 28, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Fleming, Jr., Mike (February 6, 2014). 'Universal Wins 7-Figure Auction For Red Rising, With Marc Forster Helming Mars Tale'. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved January 28, 2015.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Sarner, Lauren (February 4, 2016). 'Pierce Brown Knows Mars the Planet and Mars the God'. Inverse. Retrieved January 28, 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^ abHowler, Kelly (May 3, 2018). 'Pierce Brown Talks Red Rising TV Show, Violet Life and More'. Howler Life. Retrieved July 21, 2019.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Howler, Kelly (January 29, 2018). 'A Red Rising TV Show Could Happen Instead of a Movie'. Howler Life. Retrieved July 21, 2019.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Howler, Kelly (October 5, 2018). 'Pierce Brown Talks Dark Age, the TV Show Status and Red Rising Tattoos at NYCC'. Howler Life. Retrieved July 21, 2019.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^Wickline, Dan (February 20, 2017). 'Pierce Brown's Red Rising Gets A Prequel Comic From Dynamite'. Bleeding Cool. Retrieved February 24, 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Full Creative Team of Pierce Brown's Original Red Rising: Sons of Ares Comic Book Series Announced'. IndieComix.net. February 20, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2017.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Stonemaier Games February 2021 Update: A New Game!'. mailchi.mp. February 2021. Retrieved February 4, 2021.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
- ^'Red Rising'. Stonemaier Games. November 11, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2021.CS1 maint: discouraged parameter (link)
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Red_Rising&oldid=1018894806'